Indian diplomat TS Tirumurti on Tuesday said Pakistan’s attempts to involve the United Nations to resist the changes brought about in Jammu and Kashmir subsequent to August 5 have “fallen flat” and has not “borne any fruit”, ANI reported. “Attempts by Pakistan to try and internationalise what is essentially a bilateral issue are nothing new,” he said.
Tirumurti, who is India’s permanent representative to the United Nations, said no formal meeting of the Security Council on the India-Pakistan issue has taken place since November 1965. “What came up recently was in a closed-door and completely informally meeting. [It was] Under what is called – any other business – which is not even a recorded discussion,” he told the news agency.
The diplomat added that at all closed-door meetings held at the UN over Jammu and Kashmir so far, every country except China has underlined the fact that Kashmir is a bilateral dispute between New Delhi and Islamabad. “There is no outcome in the meeting....therefore, Pakistan’s attempts fell flat,” he told the news agency.
“Even the United Nations Secretary-General, in his statement last August clearly referred to the 1972 bilateral Shimla Agreement,” Tirumurti said. “Consequently, Pakistan’s efforts have not met any traction in the United Nations Security.”
Tirumurti claimed that even if Pakistan persists in its attempts to intervene in the matters of the erstwhile state, “there will be no takers here in the United Nations”. “I want to reassure you that the attempt by Pakistan to involve the United Nations in the context of Jammu and Kashmir, has not borne fruit and has been strongly refuted by India at every turn,” he said.
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On August 5 last year, India abrogated the special status of Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 of the Constitution, and divided the state into two Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh. It also put many Kashmiri politicians under detention. The region has been attempting to go back to normalcy since then.
Pakistan, which has fought three wars with India over Kashmir, responded to the decision by downgrading diplomatic ties, suspending bilateral trade, and halting the Samjhauta Express and Thar train services between the two countries. Since then, Pakistan has repeatedly tried approaching the United Nations to oppose the changes in J&K. However, India has constantly criticised Pakistan for raising Jammu and Kashmir in the United Nations, and has reiterated that the region “was, is, and shall forever” remain its integral part.
‘Pakistan is nerve centre of terrorism’
Tirumurti also called Pakistan “the nerve centre of terrorism”, the Hindustan Times reported.
“Pakistan is home to largest number of listed terrorists, internationally designated terrorist entities and individuals, including Jamaat-ud-Dawah, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad and Hizbul Mujahideen,” Tirumurti said. “Pakistan prime minister [Imran Khan] has on record said that there are around 40,000 terrorists present in the country.”
The diplomat referred to the United Nations’ 26th report of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team concerning ISIS, and said there is a clear acknowledgement that the leadership and funding for the terrorist entities like Al-Qaeda, ISIS emanate from Pakistan. “There are several direct references to Pakistan’s involvement,” Tirumurti said.
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